Warner scores maiden double-ton

Australia dominate again, as David Warner and Usman Khawaja continue their good form at the WACA.

Only six times in history has a player scored more runs in a day than Warner did on Friday at the WACA Ground, on the opening day of the second Test. It was the most managed in a day in Australia, trumping former captain Michael Clarke's 224 in Adelaide in 2012-13.

His imperious innings, which included a 301-run partnership with Usman Khawaja, strengthened the argument he is on track to be rated among the elite Australians of any era.

Australia finished 2-416 after 90 overs. The only victims for the day were Joe Burns for 40 just before lunch and Khawaja for 121 late in the day. While the Black Caps have conceded more runs in a day — 418 — on that occasion, against England in Christchurch in 1932-33, they claimed five wickets.

The fall of Khawaja brought captain Steve Smith to the crease, a daunting assignment for a bowling attack that was ineffective in mid-30s heat in Perth after the home team had the good fortune to win the toss and bat first. They then proceded to crush New Zealand's hopes of striking back hard from their Gabba defeat.

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Khawaja further consigned his 5½ years of frustration in trying to lock down a Test berth to history by making his second century of the series, albeit riding his luck more than he did in Brisbane.

When Warner reached 100 in the second session he became just the fourth player in Test history to have scored three consecutive centuries, on more than one occasion. Only the West Indies' Everton Weekes, India's Sunil Gavaskar and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara have already achieved that feat.

Two hundred and counting: David Warner celebrates after reaching his double century. Photo: Getty Images

In the course of reaching his 15th Test century, which he marked with a celebration that was boisterous by even his standards, the 29-year-old took his career tally past 4000 runs. His tally of 45 Tests took him past the likes of Neil Harvey, Matthew Hayden and Greg Chappell. The only player above him is the player renowned to rank above all in cricket: Don Bradman.

After tea he not only passed his previous Test best of 180 but also hit 200 for the first time. His celebration was not as vibrant as his one earlier in the day, but nevertheless his satisfaction was palpable.

The form of Australia's top three meant New Zealand's bowlers had to toil in the mid-30s heat in Perth. While Tim Southee was passed fit to play and Trent Boult improved on his underwhelming performance in the series opener neither troubled the Australians regularly. The best - and fastest - of the Black Caps' four pacemen was Matt Henry, producing the only wicket of the first 80 overs.

The clearest exception to that theory came when Boult rapped Warner on the pads on his second spell, when the Australian was on 78. Just as New Zealand were on the wrong end of a borderline decision in Brisbane, when Kane Williamson's leg-before dismissal was confirmed because the Eagle-Eye ball-tracking system predicted it would have shaved the top of the stumps, in Perth they missed out on Warner's wicket. While Eagle-Eye predicted the ball would have struck the top of Warner's stumps it was not enough to demonstrate that umpire S. Ravi's decision was conclusively wrong.

Job well done: Steve Smith and David Warner leave the field at the close of play. Photo: Getty Images

The failure of that challenge, combined with a foolish leg-before appeal earlier in the innings when Burns edged Southee onto his pad, mean the Black Caps were out of reviews by the 29th over and, like with Brendon McCullum at the Gabba, were powerless to have incorrect decisions overturned.

Pre-match predictions that pitch conditions at the WACA Ground would be approaching its pace pomp of the 1970s and 1980s were rebutted on the morning of the match by former players that inspected it.

The lack of pace in the pitch was reflected in Burns surviving an outside edge in the third over - from the bowling of Tim Southee, who was selection despite fitness concerns - that fell short of Mark Craig at second slip. Within half an hour the Black Caps' slips cordon had shrunk from three to two. By the first drinks break it was down to once as McCullum sought to limit the damage, going against his penchant for attacking.

New Zealand's bad day was exemplified by two lives for Khawaja: on 38, when they unable to challenge a failed caught-behind appeal against him, and on 62 when Doug Bracewell let a chance slip through his fingers and over the fine-leg rope for six.